Explosive-engine.



W; (I. WRIGHT.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB7,1906.

Patented 001:. 12,1909.

3 BHEETfi-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES. Q Q

W. J. WRIGHT.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.7,1906.

Patented Oct. 12,1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.25 2 l/VI/ENTOR WIIIVESSES: w wmu W. J. WRIGHT.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIQATION FILED FEB. 7,1906.

Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A rmR/vm;

lsI 1 UNITED STATES. PArnNrr QFFICE.

W LIAM: J- WR GH 0F 734;331:2 5 PEHHSEL I pee c tte of Le ter a ent lfitellned Oct. 12, 1909,

6 Application filed February 7, 1906; Serial-No, 299,891.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, WILL AM J. \VRIGHT, residing at Franklin, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Im roved Construction of Explosive-Engine, 0 is a specification;

lllS invention relates to gas engines, and more particularly to that class known as explosive engines and the prime object of my present invention is to provide a com- 'which the following pound engine of that type stated, which,

compared with otherslof substantially the same type, will be simple and efiectivein construction, in which the operating parts are so designed and arranged as to provide for a great economy of fuel and for running- A the engine under such difliculties for each cylinder, 3, double piston for each.

cylinder cooperatively combined with a supplemental piston, explosion end of the cylinder and a means for coupling the pistons of the two cylinders to a main drive shaft and for effecting re-. verse directions of movements and supplemental istons within their respective'working c y lnde 's, a single low pressure means including a single piston coupled.

with the two cylinders, means for effectingtwo movements of the piston during each stroke of the main and supplemental co-acting pistons within the working cylinder and a means for leading oil the exploded charges in the working cylinders after their'force has been spent on their respective working; pistons to the opposite sides of the piston in the compounding cylinder and for utilizing;

the remaining force of the said ex loded charges upon the said piston, and a urther! means for creating a vacuum 111 front of the piston at predeterminedtimes.

I the line 2- and an exhaust for each.

to the main.

In its more subordinate features, vention consists of certain details of construction and peculiar combination of parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully explained, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the s s in t:

lgure 1, 1s a horizontal sectlon of my improved compound engine on the line 1-1 on ig. 2. Fig, 2, is a cross section thereof on on Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a vertical longitudinal section thereof on the line 3-3 on ig. 2. Fig. 4, is a-diagrammatic horizontal section of the two working cylinders and the hereinafter specifically, referred to.

Incarrying-out my present invention-,the

low pressure cylinder 1s preferably formed inthe bed frame of the machine with the two working cylinders mounted thereon at equal distances from the central or longitudinal axis. of the compounding cylinder as best shown in Fig- Briefly stated, the work ing cylinders and the low pressure cylinder are cotiperati'vely so arranged that an exl'OSlOIl occurs first in one end of one cyliner then. in the o posite end of theother cylinder, then inthe other end of the first cylinder and then in the other end of the other cylinder and the exhausts from the explosion chambers are drawn ofl" into the low pressure cylinder alternately at one side and then the other side of] the piston therein, which cylinder is provided with valve mechanlsms arranged toexhaust the charge and it as another form a vacuum in front of charge on the back of the piston therein is being utilized to assist in carrying the saidplston forward. a I 1 Referringnow to the drawings by letters and'characters A and A working cylinders which are oflike construction and, a deta led descri tion of one will therefore suflice f or both. lie-working cylinder A is ofa suitable lcn one endandprovided atthe ot er endwith ,an a erture having a suitable stufiing box-a 111 w ich lays the rod for theniain working piston C t at operates in the said cylinder A.

he ,iston O is forme of two '0 members c c, the adjacent ends 0 "w'hi are separatefi'a redetermin'ed distance and have internalthreaded portion cto receive acouLpling sleeve 0 the ends of which are threa my. in-

accompanying (lra w.

pump or low compression cylinder designate the two i th closed at B posin ed to engage the threaded ends 0 of 111-9 inwardly projecting stems as clearly shown in the drawings.

-' 'open in t e manner hereinafter. explained to lead oil the exploded charge from the oppo- 2 seems agent into the hollow piston C and which is J supplied through the feed pipe D that discharges tl'irough the aperture d and the annula r channel (5 on the inside of the cylinder A in line with the elongated slots in the sleeve 0". Each of the piston sections cc I at the head ends is providedwith outlets for leading the working agent into the ex- I plosive chambers 00 and m at each end of the cylinder A and with valves 0 that usually close the said opening 0 and which are held closed by a suitably arranged bow spring 0 locatedon the inside of the heads of the piston members o-e and connected to the of the valve 0 At a point mid-way its length, the cylinder A at I diametrically opposite sides, has elongated slots 0 which are of a lengthequal that of the elongated feed slots c in the sleeve 0 and through the slot 0 passes a cross rod 0" that couples with the rod 0 of a supplemental piston C that works within the hollow main piston C, and which consists of the heads 10 l in each of which is mounted one or more out- I wardly o ening valves 10 that automatically lead the working agent charge alternately into the main piston sections cc'.

e and e designate exhausts in the cylint der A, that are located in such a manner to l sit/e ends of the cylinder A when the main piston C reaches the end of its stroke in opposite directions. I F designates a crank shaft having crank 2 members f'f' relatively arranged on-quarters, one of which, f, is coupled with the cross head F that connects with the piston rod.oi" the main piston G- in the cylinder A, and the other 7"" of which couples with the cross head with which the rod of the piston C for the cylinder A connects; and gg-g-g designate two pairs of'eccentries mounted upon the crank shaft, to one set of which g-g, the cross bar 0'' operating through the cylinder A connects, whereas the cross rod for the other cylinder A is connected by pitman rods with the other set of eccentrics g-g.

ib-Jt designate slides that work in suitable guides it" on the outside of the cylinder A and these slides /bh are connected to the cross rod 0 to move therewith and are so arranged that they will maintain a closure of the slot c in the main cylinder A during all movements of the rod 0 and the pistons working within the cylinder A, it being understood that like slide iucmbers are provided for the cylinder A.

The operation of the parts, so far as described, is explained as follows: the hollow piston C to be in the position shown in Fig. l and to be traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow 20 on such figure, the said piston C, during such movement, will be compressing a working charge wlthm the explosion chamber 0: while a .new working charge is being drawn into the section 0 of the said hollow piston C by the vacuum created in the said section 0 opening the valves It? in the head 10 of the supplemental piston which is at this time travcling in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the hollow piston C, it being. understood that the said indicated movement. of the hollow piston C is produced by the explosion having taken lace in the compartment m at the other on of the cylinder A. During the stated movement of the hollow piston C, the supplemental piston C that travels within the hollow piston C is now being moved in the'opposite' direction, by reason of the connection it has with the eccentrics of the crank shaft, and a working charge of explosive mixture in the cylinder between its head and the supplemental piston C will be now 10 in the head of the supplemental'piston C being at this time held closed by the pressure of the working agent in front of it. At this oint it hAOllld be stated, that in the practical arrangement of my engine, the correlation of the crank shaft, f and the cccentrio 9, is such, that the main piston C will have partially moved on its return stroke before the head a of the supplemental piston shall have reached the limit of itst'orward thrust, such arrangement of parts being provided for two reasons; first, to effect: a maximum compression of the charge between the two now opposing heads of the main and the supplemental pistons, and secondly, to cause the approaching head of the supplemental piston to positively engage the spring that. holds the valve (1 the said valve 0 to an open position to permit the compressed charge-entering into the, 'GXPlOSlOIl chamber :0,

on its return movement the opposing head of the su plemental piston C is still travelin r towarc the adjacent head of the iston U and by reason of the relative speet s of the two opposing heads referred to, the head of the supplemental piston will now engage and iissuming compressing, the valve closed and thereby move 7 compress the spring that holds the valve to its closed position and move the said valve from over the escape valve 0'' and thus permit the compressed charge to enter into the compartment X which, at this time, holds the vacuum.

The compound cylinder P has such length and the piston 7) has its rod 1 connected with a driving part of the engine in such n'ianner, that the piston will make two strokes within the cylinder P during the time that the hollow piston within the cylinder A is making one stroke, the reason for which is best explained as follows: When the piston C, traveling in the direction before stated and indicated by the arrow 20 on Fig. 1, reaches that point when it begins to uncover the exhaust for the compartment .11, the. ex loded charge within the chamber :11 un er the limited expansive force which it still contains, passes out through the exhaust c and through the inlet b of the compounding cylinder P and at the time that the piston in'the cylinder A be gins to uncover the exhaust e, the piston 71 in'the con'lpou'ndingcylinder will be in its I extreme position in the direction indicated by the arrow 21 within the low pressure cylinder and {eady to begin its movement in the opposite dl'rection, it being understood that the exl' austed charge just referred to, by reason of its still expansive force, materially aids in carrying the said piston p in-the opposite direction indicated by the dotted arrow 21, it being also understood that at this time the valve i that controls the port to the vacuum creating'means is closed by the pressure of the mixture back of the piston head p.

in the practical application of my invention, the hollow cylinder C and the piston p are so timed, with respect to their reciprocatory movements, that the piston 7) will travel the full length of its stroke during the time that the hollow piston C in the cylinder A begins to uncover the exhaust c for the chai'uher m, passes back beyond the said exhanst and returns to almost cover the said exhaust; such correlative positions of the piston C and the piston 2 being provided to permit of creating a vacuum within the chamber a2 prior to the operation of opening the valve that controls the working agent feed ports of the chamber or, and such result is obtained by reason ofsuitable'. devices connecting with the. movable part of the engine which operate to open the valve 2' of the vacuum producing means'the instant that. the piston 72 reaches the limit of its stroke in the direction indicated by the arrow 21, thus creating, as it were, a vacuum back of the piston C as well as back of the piston 72, thereby reducing he resistance to the. returning movements of the pistons C and p to the minimum. During the time.

i that the piston C is returning in the. direction of the compartment w, the. working i charge in the chamber a." in the. opposite end of the other working cylinder is being brought into a condition for exploding and the next explosion then occurs in the said i chamber :0 after which an explosion is effooted in the same manner in the compartment a: in the cylinder A and then in the compantment :I in the cylinder A, it being I understood that. the several exhausts for the pcylinders A and A are connected with the f inlets b and d in the cylinder P.

* To provide. for actuating the piston p in the compounding cylinder in the manner hereinbefore stated, that is, at double the speed of that of the pistons within the working cylinders, I connect the rod 1) of the piston 71 with the crank of a su plemental shaft, geared with the main shati,

two revolutions to one revolution of the said main shaft.

1 By reason of the peculiar construction of i the working charge compression pistons 5 within the cylinders A and A, to obtain the greatest etliciency of the engine for all kinds i of work for which it is adapted, it is ueces l sary to provide foran instantaneous ignition and consumption of the working charges I i and for such purpose I provide an ignitiing means for each explosion end of the cylinders, which will produce a flame of such initensity when the charge has been finally g compressed within the explosion chamber to its limit, that it will consume substantially every combustible item contained in the working agent consisting of any inflammable substance capable of being fed into the explosion chambers with the air.

In the drawings, l have illustrated the general arrangement of my improved en- 7 gine and located the coacting parts in such manner that their structure and cooperative relation can be readily seen, but I desire it understood that in the practical application of my invention the Working cylinders and the compounding cylinder may be arranged to suit the particular work for which the eni gine is to be used and the mechanical de- I vices for actuating the several valves may .be modified or varied as conditions may l make necessary without departing from the I scope of the invention.

i 1 l i I supplemental piston having end heads pro- Vl( ed with automatically opened and closed to makev I Having thus described my invention, what. i

charge, thus making it possible to use a I & 986,972

valved a crturcs for the feed of the working agent to the explosion ends of the cylinder and means for drawing off the burned charge back of the hollow piston, substantially as set forth.

In an explosive engine, the combination with a working cylinder having fuel feed inlet, of a hollow piston in said cylinder having longitudinally extended inlet ports in communication with the said feed inlet, a supplemental piston slidably mounted within the hollow piston and' having two heads lo.- cated one beyond each end of the feed slots in the hollow piston, said heads having dis charge outlets, valves for closing such outlets that automatically open by suction be tween the said heads and the hollow piston heads, each of the heads of the hollow piston having a valve discharge which automatically open \vhenthe working charge is compressed in the hollow piston to its maximum,

the working cylinder having an exhaust in each end, means for drawing otf such exhausts and creating a vacuum in the ends of the working cylinder after each exhaust, and means for reciprocating the main and the supplemental pistons in reverse directions.

for the purposes described.

3. An explosive engine, comprising a pair of working cylinders, a low pressure cylinder having a single piston and an a utomatically operating valve in each end actuated at predetermined times, each of the working cylinders having a working agent inlet. a hollow working piston having a discharge port in each end and an automatically operated outwardly-opening valve therefor.

said hollow piston having elongated inlets centrally thereof, a double headed piston slidably' mounted vithin the-hollow piston. Q

each of its heads having a discharge open- It l l l cylimlers t. In combination with the crank shaft having two cranks set on quarters. two work ing cylinders and a low pressure cylinder common to bothv working cylinders, each of the working cylinders having an exhaust for each end that connect with the low pressure cylinder; of a means for delivering a working charge into each working cylinder, another means for compressing the same therein and forcing it alternately into the opposite ends of the cylinder in a highly compressed state, the last stated means being located within the cylinders and connections that join the last said means with the engine crank shaft. and a further means for actnat- 30 ing the low pressure cylinder piston whereby todra w ott' the burned mixture from each end of the cylinders and creating a vacuum therein prior to entering a new compressed charge therein. as set forth. 5

5. An explosive gas engine of the character described. which comprises a pair of working cylinders. each havin a fuel feed port. a means for each cylinder wholly within the said c \'linders for drawing in a working charge. compressing such charge and forcing the compressed charges first into one end and then into the other end of the working cylinders. mechanism connected with the crank shaft for-actuating the said charge compressing means and another means for drawing off the burned mixture and creating a vacuum in each end of the, working cylinder at predetermined times.

ti. in an explosive engine. the working which include means located 5 wholly within the cylinders-for drawing in mg and an automatically operating out;

wardly opening valve therefor, the exhaust port for each end of each of the working cylinders, the oppositely disposed exhausts of the working cylinders discharging into the low pressure cylinder at one side and the other diametrically opposite exhausts of the two working cylinders discharging into the low pressure cylinder at the other side thereof, cross members in eachworking cylinder that connect with the rods of the supplemental piston, the said cylinders having slots through which the cross members move. slides carried by "each cross member for closing said slots, a crank shaft, means for connecting the hollow and supplemental pistons of the two working cylinders to the crank shaft so as to reciprocate the said hollow and sup 'ilemental pistons at reverse directions and at difl'erentspeeds and another means for transmitting two movements of thelow pressure cylinder piston to one movement of the piston in the working-cylinder, for the purposes specified.

working charges. compressing the same and, alternately forcing it into one explosion end, of the cylinders in a highly compressed state and then into the other end of the cylinder to he exploded and means for positively drawing off the burned residuum from each exploded end of the cylinder and creating a vacuum therein prior to recharging said explosive ends and mechanism actuated by the crank shaft for operating the charge'coir trolling and compressing means within the cylinder at predetermined intervals, substantially as specified.

7. In an explosi e engine, a working cylinder. a hollow piston therein, said cylinder ha ving a pair of centrally separated exhaust ports controlled by the movement of the piston and having an outlet in each end, means for automatically closing said outlets at predetermined times, means for leading the working" charge into the hollow cylinder and another means located withinthe hollow cylinder for forcing the workingagenttherein alternately through the valved outlets in the opposite heads of the cylinder all bein arranged substantially as shown and described. I

S. .\n explosive engine comprisingaworking cylinder having a single feed inlet and an exhaust port at each end, a piston operating in the cylinder that controls the opening and closing of the exhaust ports, and the crank shaft connection with the piston; of a means for initially compressing the working charge mounted within the cylin-- der before loading it in advance of the piston, and a means for drawing off the burned mixture back of the piston and simultaneously compressing the new charge in front of the working piston, 2. set forth.

S). As an improvement in explosive engines, a working cylinder having a centrally disposed feed inlet and a pair of exhaust ports one at each end of the cylinder, a double acting pump connected with the exhausts of the working cylinder,the crank shaftand the coimections joined therewith and the working piston and pump piston to movethe pumping piston twice as fast as the working piston, a hollow piston in the working cylinder having valve controlled outlets in the ends thereof usually closed and a second double headed piston working with the hollow piston, its heads having valved discharges. and a feed port for the cylinder having a feed port that discharges into the hollow piston midway thereof, for the purposes described.

'10, In an explosive engine of the character described, the combination with the main cylinder having acentrally disposed, fuel inlet and an exhaust port in each end; of a hollow piston that controls the opening and closing of the exhaust ports, said piston each end and a fuel feed inlet midwaythe f exhaust ports and crank shaft; of a hollow double headed piston having a longitudinally elongated irilet that communicates with the fuel feed inlet, and having outlets in each end closed by valves, spring held to their closing position, the .piston rod con nection that joins with the crank shaft,-a double pistonworking within the hollow cylinder, the heads being separated to straddle the elongated feed openin in the hollow piston, a connection actuate by the crank shaft adapted to impart movement to the said double piston heads of said piston, hav ing outlets provided with outwardly opening valves, as set forth.

\VILLIAM J. WRIGHT;

' \Vitnesses:

ALBERT E. DIETERIOH, JOHN T. SCHROTT. 

